This paper has certain strengths, which make it more fulfilling and entertaining. The most fascinating was reading about the different cultural traditions of drinking coffee and seeing examples of coffee rituals in other regions. The thesis seems a little unclear because, on the one hand, I understand the point that coffee culture varies significantly depending on the place. On the other hand, personal preferences are not fully understood and leave the question open without providing any concrete statement. The evidence is presented in each paragraph, portraying the specifics of European culture. Additionally, there are many comparisons with the American way of consuming coffee, all of which refer to the thesis statement that coffee culture differs in each region of the world. The third was the most specific and supported paragraph about the specifics of the European countrys culture and habits regarding coffee. However, the second paragraph could use more historical background on peoples attitudes towards the beverages back then, although the information about the creation of the espresso machine was fascinating.
I believe their hierarchical strategy is used since the paper provides information not specified in the logical order but more by the level of importance. The essay could be improved by adding more facts about the modern coffee culture in Europe. In the contemporary fast pace of life, it seems hard to always calmly enjoy coffee with a paper and not take a cup out to a walk. Nevertheless, I have never thought before about drinking coffee habits in other countries, and this paper gave me different perceptions of it. I will use it to revise my writing since I believe many judgments might be based on stereotypes.
Coffee and Health
The obvious strengths of the paper are the decent number of scientific facts regarding coffee, which highlight both positive and negative aspects of the beverage depending on the amount and frequency of consumption. The thesis statement is also clearly presented at the end of the introductory paragraph. The main point is that coffee cannot be healthy and good for the organism, but the right consumption can be beneficial (Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine Is Too Much, 2018). Each paragraph contains evidence about the role of coffee in peoples life, its effect on their well-being, and the amount of caffeine contained in one portion. Each supports the paragraphs main idea by following the theme and providing relevant information. The second paragraph seemed the most detailed and clear to me due to the medical facts about coffee and its effect on the human body.
Moreover, I could not find any paragraph that would need some improvement because each one of them, in my opinion, was informative and well-structured. Overall, the essay could be improved by adding more casual language to diverse the different medical facts presented in the paper. This essay used a logical strategy, which allowed the information to flow through the text smoothly and was easy to read and understand. I have learned a lot about coffee in this essay, although I knew some facts before. Still, the most intriguing for me was to read about caffeine tolerance and addiction, which was not very obvious to me before. I think I can use this knowledge in my paper on stereotypes of different coffee drinkers since it can explain some habits connected with this beverage.
The paper chosen for the analysis is called Prenatal Caffeine Exposure Impairs Pregnancy in Rats. The authors of the research delve into the investigation of the human reproductive disorders. The given issue is one of the major concerns of the modern science as it poses a threat to the further evolution of society and result in the appearance of numerous demographical problems.
Moreover, the changes in the reproductive system might promote the development of various problems related to the state of posterity. The authors tend to evaluate the effects of caffeine on implantation sites, numbers of live births, weight, crown-rump length and abnormality (Maryam et al., 2016). To support their research with the credible information, researchers conduct the experimental study using rats as the main probationers. Furthermore, they try to create the environment that would support the development of various disorders to admit the changes in the state of rats and their posterity.
Besides, the authors suggest the hypothesis which states that the excessive usage of substances containing caffeine might result in the appearance of significant changes in rats organisms (Maryam et al., 2016). These changes could trigger the process of the development of various complications and promote the deterioration of the health of posterity.
The authors of the study state that the biological effects of caffeine on the central nervous system still provide a set of questions. For this reason, Maryam et al. (2016) suppose that the increased usage of caffeine during the last few weeks of pregnancy could impact the level of estrogen and have the pernicious effect on the state of a fetus. In this regard, the investigators tend to prove the idea that the usage of coffee, tea, chocolate and some medicines could be dangerous for the reproductive system of a living being and deteriorate the state of a fetus.
To prove the hypothesis, the authors conduct the experimental study that delves into the investigation of the major concerns of the issue. There are 40 female albino rats divided into two control groups. They are created to guarantee the credibility of the experiment and monitor the changes of the state of probationers. All rodents received caffeine on days 1-5 of pregnancy (Maryam et al., 2016). The first group was euthanized on day 7 to discover the number of implantation sites and other problematic aspects. The second group was investigated to monitor the state of their posterity and possible complications. The obtained data was analyzed by various independent tests to guarantee the detailed analysis of the case and create the basis for the further discussion.
The results of the study provided by the authors show that the number of implantation sites between two experimental groups differs significantly (Maryam et al., 2016). The number of live birth births between the 2nd and control group was also statistically significant. The given results were obtained in the course of the precise investigation and monitoring of the state of rats belonging to both groups. Moreover, the credibility of the data is evidenced by the character of the experimental study and attempts to exclude various external factors from the experiment. In this regard, the authors underline the great importance of the results as they could be used to support their hypothesis and introduce discussions related to the impact caffeine has on the state of a living being and its reproductive system. Moreover, the results include the authors observations noted during the experiment.
The study also provides the discussion related to the questions. Maryam et al. (2016) admit that the administration of caffeine causes a significant decrease in implantation sites and the number of live birth. It follows from this assumption that caffeine could cause the anti-fertility effect and deteriorate the state of a person. Especially dangerous the substance becomes for pregnant individuals as the study proves the negative impact on the condition of a fetus. However, it is rather difficult to prove this statement as the usage of rats in the study could not guarantee the same reactions among human beings. The data shows that the caffeine consumption could decrease the birth weight, but the difference between two experimental groups is not statistically significant. Moreover, the problem is that the impact on human fetus may be severe. These facts condition the necessity of the further investigation of the question.
In conclusion, it is possible to state that the article is quite comprehensive, and the authors were able to prove their hypothesis regarding harmful effects of caffeine on pregnancy in rats. The findings are fascinating because this is an area that is relatively unexplored, and the results are statistically significant. It may be reasonable to increase the sample size, and other aspects of birth also should be measured in future studies. The authors suggest that injections of caffeine to pregnant rats result in the decrease of implantation sites and live birth. It is not reasonable to exclude caffeine from the diet of pregnant individuals yet based on available data, and this subject matter needs to be researched.
Moreover, it would be appropriate to get a better understanding of what dosage is safe, and would not lead to complications. Also, it is entirely possible that the authors could have overlooked several crucial factors that could have affected the results, and they should have paid more attention towards the elimination of bias. It is quite recent, and it would be reasonable to review other articles on this subject matter to identify particular patterns and similarities between the arguments. Overall, the experiment supports the idea that caffeine has numerous harmful effects, and it may be especially dangerous during the pregnancy. Therefore, it would be reasonable to reduce the intake of the stimulant to avoid risks and complications.
The topic I want to address today is on health effects of caffeine. It is essentially the most widely used psychoactive substance in the world. In North America, more than 80 percent of adults regularly consume caffeine (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health par. 10). Caffeine is a stimulant, such as nicotine or cocaine, but with different psychoactive effects. It is mostly found in seeds of the Coffea plant, and the safe dose is determined to be 400 mg/day. Therefore, many people are regularly consuming caffeine in one form or another, mostly coffee, but there is no awareness of its health effects. Caffeine boosts alertness, helps to combat sleepiness, and improves attention, and coffee beans contain antioxidants.
Firstly, a systematic review of all reliable evidence on caffeines effect on health identified that caffeine could adversely impact bone metabolism and calcium in the body. It states that the increased urination due to the drug increases calcium excretion (Doepker et al. 1536; DePaula and Farah 37). Secondly, since caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant, it elevates blood pressure, and chronic blood pressure is a known risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (Doepker et al. 1536). Thirdly, caffeine can significantly contribute to the development of anxiety, anger, confusion, and depression (Doepker et al. 1536). Fourthly, there is evidence that the drug can adversely impact fetal growth and development, which is why there is a debate about whether or not pregnant women can consume it (Doepker et al. 1536). In addition, it can disrupt sleep quality and duration, leading to symptoms of chronic tiredness as well. For all of these health effects, the studies mainly focus on adults, for whom 400 mg/day was deemed safe, but there is no extensive evidence for children, adolescents, pregnant women, and the elderly. It is evident that caffeine toxicity would be greater for these groups.
Works Cited
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Caffeine. CAMH, 2019. Web.
DePaula, Juliana, and Adriana Farah. Caffeine Consumption through Coffee: Content in the Beverage, Metabolism, Health Benefits and Risks. Beverages, vol. 5, no. 2, p. 37. doi.org/10.3390/beverages5020037
Doepker, Candace, et al. Key Findings and Implications of a Recent Systematic Review of the Potential Adverse Effects of Caffeine Consumption in Healthy Adults, Pregnant Women, Adolescents, and Children. Nutrients, vol. 10, no. 10, 2018, p. 1536. doi.org/10.3390/nu10101536
As our day progresses, our moods and behaviors change depending on the environment that we are in. In some cases our moods are even affected by the time of day it is, for at one time of day we are at our happiest, and others we are the complete opposite. The thing about moods in that they are able to fluctuate very easily, with a simple emotion or comment they can be changed for both the better and the worse. Since they are so unpredictable, we find specific mechanisms that help us cope with what is happening around us. Some people find solace in a particular activity, whereas others find in a certain food or beverage. For the majority of the world, the three main forms of coping mechanisms include yoga, sleep, and of course, coffee. We find that these three in particular put us in better spirits, whether it may be in the workplace, at home, or even amongst friends.
HOW DO YOGA, COFFEE, AND SLEEP AFFECT OUR MOODS?
Yoga, sleep, and coffee play such big roles in our lives, for it seems that we cannot get through the day without accomplishing at least one; a relaxing yoga class to the day, a good night’s rest, or several cups of coffee. Each of these put us in a better mood from the troubles that are occurring behind the four walls. No matter what your choice of calming preference is, each of whom is designed to chase your moods and allow you to get back to reality. So how do yoga, sleep, and coffee specifically affect our moods?
Let us begin with yoga, the slimpest of them all. By definition, yoga is a set of practices that are designed to meditate one physically, spiritually, and mentally. For the most part, yoga consists of certain asanas, or poses, that cause you to unwind. Over the years, yoga has become a form of exercise as yoga opens both the mind and the body in many different forms. Yoga encourages its practitioners to go above and beyond their regular regimen and push their bodies to great lengths, ones that will allow an individual to open up and see the world through a different mood, typically a more calming one. As you exercise you begin to release endorphins that work together to change your mood. These endorphins are responsible for most of the mood changes that occur during exercise.
What are endorphins?
Endorphins are a chemical formulation that is created in both humans and animals that produce a sense of high to have your mood changed. Formed in the central nervous system, the endorphins are a particular set of hormones that are released as a mood shaper. The good thing about endorphins is that they do not only change your mood to put you in a better mood, they are also known for being defense mechanisms in a time of need. When you are in pain, the endorphins inhibit that pain from reaching other neurotransmitters, allowing the pain to be restricted to one specific area or region of the body.
When you don’t get enough sleep it is clearly reflected upon your mood in many different ways. Not enough sleep results in lack of concentration, irritability, frustration and may even cause a person to experience periods of sadness at times. Each of the ways that sleep can affect your mood can be detrimental for not only your mood but for your health as well. Persistent lack of sleep may be a sign of a mood disorder or a chronic illness.
As for coffee, we all know that drinking our favorite brews change our moods for the better. After having just one cup of coffee we begin to be in a better mood, or as some put it ‘become human again’. For the most part, the majority of people cannot focus without a cup of coffee at hand, and constantly need it to get them through each day. For those must-have coffee drinkers amongst us, we need at least 4 cups of coffee per day just to be considered normal again. With each sip of coffee our energy levels are rejuvenated, allowing us to be on our best moods possible to continue the tasks at hand.
IS THINKING ABOUT IT ENOUGH OR DOES IT HAVE TO BE DONE?
To an extent, thinking about yoga does alleviate our concerns and put us in a better mood. Since yoga is primarily mentally based it, thinking about yoga, or meditating, can reduce the stress in one’s life and change your mood. To an extent, you do not have to do the full exercise to be considered as affecting your mood, opening up the mind to a form of relaxation and meditation will have just as big of an effect on your mood as if you did the actual poses.
Like yoga, it is scientifically proven than thinking about coffee change one’s mood. Just by thinking about the taste of coffee and its aroma, one’s mood can be changed for the better. Coffee plays such a crucial part in our lives, that even if we think of the drink as if we were drinking it, we will be happier. Without actually drinking the coffee and just picturing ourselves as if we were, we are reminded by the experiences that we’ve had with coffee in the past, which uplifts our moods for the better.
On a separate scale, thinking about sleep does not put us in a better mood for we long for those moments when we are sleeping. Sleep has such an effect on our daily behaviors that nothing can compare to actually getting some shut-eye. As much as we may want to think that just the thought of sleep is enough to keep us well-rested, it does not work this way in the sleep realm. Only the real act of sleeping will be able to change our moods and cause us to be happier and more optimistic the next day.
YOGA AND COFFEE
Does coffee illicit better yoga and meditation?
When it comes down to coffee, we all know that the caffeine in the coffee is what keeps us going; giving us energy from here to tomorrow. The reason being that we have so much energy after drinking a cup of coffee is because the caffeine works as a mind stimulator. The caffeine allows the brain to begin sending signals throughout the body again, allowing us to continue to focus on the task in front of us. Naturally, this mind stimulator works in terms of meditation as well. Having coffee before you meditate builds stamina to prepare you for the meditation ahead. With a cup of coffee prior to your yoga class, you will be able to sit in the class and meditate for much longer than you anticipated. The longer you meditate, the more substantial the effects will have on you as a whole.
COFFEE AND SLEEP
Does coffee help you sleep better?
Coffee and sleep go hand-in-hand, we find that we need both in order to make it through each day. As much as we may think it gets us to sleep better, having coffee before bed in fact has the complete opposite effect. Since coffee is filled with caffeine it causes us to be filled will energy and therefore wide awake, making falling asleep much harder than it actually is. Recent studies have shown that having coffee, or caffeine for all that matter, before a good’s night rest can change the way your body’s internal clock works. By the time you get to falling asleep, it would be long after you normally would if you did not have the caffeine in the first place.
If you feel like you must have coffee late at night, for reasons unable to explain, consider alternative beverages to get your caffeine fix in instead. Decaf coffee or even certain forms of tea will give you the energy you are looking for, but at the same will not ruin your internal clock. After drinking decaf coffee or tea, you will be able to fall asleep at the usual time you normally would, without having to worry about being kept up all night long.
Water is the most essential piece of the puzzle on how the human body functions and is constantly being used to maintain cell, tissue and organ functions (Laskey and Sinha, 2019). Humans loose water through breathing, digesting and sweating so it is important to remain hydrated. However, water is constantly being recycled so any contamination can be hard to remove which can disrupt the cycle and can have harmful side effects such as acid rain or a person’s health can also be negatively affected. This study tested multiple ways to remove copper from a solution the most cost effective and simple way through coffee adsorption. Our experiment found a linear relationship between an increase in coffee particles and the percentage of copper removed. The results were obtained by using a spectrophotometer calculating the absorbance through the solution stained by Alizarin red solution which creates a complex with the copper ions. A high absorbance value corresponds to a darker solution containing more copper ions.
INTRODUCTION
Fresh water makes up only 2.5% of the Earths water source but less than 0.3% can be attained for human consumption (Misachi, 2019) and due to water’s solubility, it is difficult to attain ‘pure water’ as other natural chemicals and microbes can be found in water.
However, with the progression of technology, anthropogenic activity such as mining, industrial and even consumer waste that isn’t properly managed can add to this continuous issue of water contamination. Plumbing infrastructures has changed the way cleandrinkable water can be transported to the public via copper metal pipes. The only downfall to this is theleaching of heavy metals into drinking water that can be toxic when consumed and can adversely affect your health. Even though the Earth naturally contains heavy metals, the start of the industrial revolution altered the quantities of some elements that has radically changed their geochemical cycle and biochemical balance (Singh et al., 2011) and issues such as acid rain which can break down sediments and release heavy metals.
In Australia, the concentrations of Cu2+ (Copper) in drinking water should be 2mg/L (Australian Drinking Water Guidelines 6, 2011). This study explores the efficient extraction of coffee grounds on different copper concentrations in water as continuous exposure to heavy metals to the body will bioaccumulate and disrupt the bodies metabolic activity. Although, copper is an essential mineral in the human body necessary in the aid of making red blood cells and maintaining the immune system and nerve cells (Megan, 2017), but in high amounts, this can be dangerous. Wilsons disease is a rare genetic disorder that is an excess copper stored in body tissues (Brewer et al., 2019) and when more copper is consumed, this can rapidly increase the symptoms associated with this rare disease. An excessive intake of copper can lead to short term and long-term health risks such as nausea, vomiting diarrhea, headaches, weakness and more serious risks such ad cirrhosis and jaundice (Megan, 2017).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Spectrophotometer readings
The analysis of copper concentrations in the solution after the addition of coffee ground was as we expected. The ‘alizarin red solution was used to react with Cu2+, forming a coloured water-soluble complex’ (2), which meant that the more copper present in the solution, the redder the appearance. To ensure that the results we obtained were reliable, an initial absorbance with no coffee added to the solution was measured so that there was a control to compare our final results to.
Copper Concentration
The initial absorbance of a 10ppm copper solution ranged between 0.81c to 0.82c. The higher the absorbance, the more copper present which is with the grey line.
Effects of Coffee Grounds
The use of biodegradable products such as coffee grounds to reduce the amount of copper ions present in a solution is an innovative and efficient way of correcting heavy metal leaching in drinking water. There is a linear relationship between the amount of coffee grounds added into the solution and the percentage of copper removed. As the mass of coffee grounds increase the absorption decreases, and the amount of copper present in the solution also has decreased. These results support our hypothesis that an increasing amount of coffee will adsorb more copper ions.
There were a few limitations that we faced in this experiment that would of have reduced how accurate we carried out this task. To weigh the precise amount of coffee grounds, a digital scale was used; however, external factors such as air conditioning in the lab and people leaning against the bench caused fluctuations on the amount of coffee weighed for each test tube. This caused an uncertainty for the amount of coffeegrounds in each tube decreasing the validity. It is recommended for future work to grind coffee grounds which would increase the overall surface area for more copper adsorption (Seniunaite et al. 2014).
Heavy metals are nonbiodegradable; so, to use a product that is biodegradable which can reduce the concentration of copper in fresh water is an environmental and economical approach. In Sydney, the St Mary’s water recycling facility treats 33.5 million litres of water every day through the process of reverse osmosis (Sydney Water, 2019). The cost of manufacturing is not stated online; however, a home system costs $12,000 USD – $18,000 USD installed (Aquatell U.S., 2019). Other water treatments include ultra-filtration, distillation and ion exchange.
Mass of coffee grounds (g) 2019) which cost upwards of millions, or trillions of dollars (Guo et al., 2014). Coffee is accessible to the public and Australian grown coffee beans are retailed for 0.06 cents per gram. This is an economical approach and can be used in conjunction with other wastewater treatments as it does not eradicate copper entirely.
REFERENCES
Aquatell U.S. (2019), How Much Do Whole Home Reverse Osmosis Systems Cost?, Online, 21 Oct. 2019
Brewer, G., S, M., K, H. and Emeritus, S. (2019). Wilson Disease – NORD (National Organization for Rare Disorders). NORD (National Organization for Rare Disorders), Online, 21 Oct. 2019 < https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/wilson-disease/>
Megan Ware, 2017, Copper: Health benefits, recommended intake, sources, and risks, Health Benefits and risks in copper, Medical News Today, Online, 25 Oct. 2019
Misachi, J., 2019., What Percentage of the Earth’s Water Is Drinkable? World Atlas, Online, 18 Oct. 2019,
Seniunaite, J., Vaiskunaite, R., Bolutiene, V., 2014, ‘Coffee grounds as an adsorbent for copper and lead removal form aqueous solutions’ International Conference Environmental Engineering, vol. 9 selected papers.
Singh, R., Gautam, N., Mishra, A., Gupta, R. 2011, ‘Heavy metals and living systems: An overview’, Indian Journal of Pharmacology, Vol. 43, no. 3, pp.246-253
Sydney Water, 2019, St Marys Water Recycling Plant, Online, 23 October 2019, CDC (Centre of Disease Control and Prevention), 2019, Copper and Drinking Water from Private
Wells, Online, 25 October 2019 Guo, T., Englehardt, J., Wu, T., 2014, ‘Review of cost versus scale: Water and wastewater treatment and reuse processes’, Water science and technology: a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research., Vol. 69, pp, 223-34
Grampians Olive Co. (2019). Australian Coffee, Online, 26 October 2019,
Laskey, J., Sinha, S., 2019, The Health Benefits of Water, Everyday Health, Online, 26th October 2019, , https://www.everydayhealth.com/water-health/water-body-health.aspx>
Author Year, Title of webpage, Description, Publisher, Place of Publication, viewed date,.(1) https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/analsci/22/4/22_4_617/_pdf
Put those sneakers on and tie them twice, we’re going for a run – a run with coffee! Not an actual run with coffee for that would be dangerous, a metaphorical one of course.
INTRO
At the large picture, it might seem odd to picture coffee and running in the same scene. After all, it would be quite impressive if someone could actually run and drink coffee at the same time, that is of course without spilling the coffee everywhere. Unless they are running with a backpack filled with coffee and drinking out of a straw, it would be nearly impossible for someone to actually have their coffee and run together. After all coffee is best drunk piping hot or iced cold, neither of which would be enjoyable during a run nor would they be easy.
For this exact reason the two are usually not thought of as going hand-in-hand. Typically when we are connecting the two we are referring to the connection the two cause when coffee is drunk either before or after a run. As coffee is a controversial topic, naturally there is an argument between the two sides whether or not coffee should be drunk before the run or whether or not if it should be drunk after the run. Both sides have their points which make complete sense, though let us see which side would come out superior if put to battle.
WHY PAIR COFFEE AND RUNNING
If a great length of thought were put towards the two, a common similarity would actually be seen between the two. Both coffee and running produce endorphins that keep us awake when we need it most, putting our moods at a high and uplifting our spirits. Some people find comfort in drinking a cup of coffee from a fresh brew, whereas others find solace in running just themselves against the world. The two actions help the person relax and come back to reality as they escape into their respective places, their own little bubbles if you wish. Drinking a fresh cup enhances each of our senses to make sure we savor every drop with every moment. As for running, with the wind brushing up against our cheeks, we feel a sense of freedom against the rest of the world. Although they are both very different activities, they both provide a sense of peace to those who are encountering them. Drinking coffee and/or going for a run puts one’s mind at ease as they step out of the troubles of the world, even if it just for a moment.
COFFEE BEFORE RUNNING VS COFFEE AFTER RUNNING
Before
For avid coffee drinkers and runners, they swear that they need to have a cup of coffee before they go on their run each day. As far as they have noticed they believe that having coffee before the run will not only wake them up and give them energy for the run, but they also view the coffee as a way to run faster, being that it is a stimulant. When a person runs after having some coffee they are getting a double effect in terms of the endorphins that are running through them. Not only do you receive the endorphins that are emitted from the coffee, but one would also receive the endorphins that are caused by running, putting the runner in a better mood over all. For heavy trainers, they choose to have a cup of coffee before they set foot out on their run so they can be well alert for the tough workout that is ahead of them. Sometimes it’s good to be well aware of your surroundings when you are entering a challenging encounter, it boosts one’s self esteem knowing that they are in control of what is happening around them.
After
As much as having coffee before a run may seem like a good idea with nothing against it, there are people who say otherwise. For some, they stand strongly by saying that if you are going to have coffee while running it should be restricted to after the run, not before it. The reason for this being that the coffee after the fact will help your muscles open up, loosening some of the pain that comes from running. The coffee works as a muscle recovery and helps your muscles refuel at a much calmer pace. For those of us who have run before, we know very well that after a long run your feet feel like they are on fire and you cannot move. By having coffee after a run those muscles can relax and not hurt as much the next day. Plus by having your coffee then you can just relax on the couch with your feet up, without worrying about getting up for hours at length.
SO WHICH IS BETTER?
When it comes to coffee you never actually could go wrong, whether you choose to do so before your daily run or after, both of which will have an effect on your run. It would be hard to decide which method is better over the other for both sides of the controversy have pros and cons to them. At one aspect having coffee before your run will be beneficial, but on the other hand it can make your run all that much more unenjoyable as well.
Since coffee is a natural diuretic it can cause you to need to run to the bathroom more frequently, which is inevitable during your run as well. With the need to constantly make a stop, your run will be far from what you actually anticipated it to be; instead of worrying about how many miles you will run today, your mind will be preoccupied with finding the next rest area to stop and relieve yourself. As if that wasn’t annoying in itself to think of, the coffee itself would cause you to become dehydrated very quickly, which can be dangerous while we are on a run.
The good thing about having coffee before a run is that all those jitters that are caused by the coffee will be put straight into your running and make you have a better run overall. The caffeine in coffee directly correlates with having a better athletic performance throughout. Just a simple dose of that coffee will have you running a better run with an overall faster time.
IS IT THE COFFEE OR THE CAFFEINE?
With all the ways your run could be made better by the intake of coffee, both before and after, you would think that the coffee is the true reason behind it all. In reality it is not the coffee that is making you have a better run, but rather the caffeine that is within the coffee. Aside from being a stimulant that improves awareness and your will to run, caffeine is known as being a performance enhancer which is specifically meant to make your performance greater. You may have thought that all this time your fast and better runs were thanks to the coffee you drank, but really the credit should be going to the caffeine that lies beneath each cup of joe, buried under all that sugar.
In our busy lives we have to face lots of tiresome occasions; that we really need something to overcome and create a peaceful mind. For many, a cup of coffee is a great help that relaxes the situation. Even though everyone drinks, very few are aware about the chemistry of coffee. So it’s time to look at the chemistry of this cup!!
Most of the Western countries consider coffee as a phenolic richest source in their diet. It also has good antioxidant properties. Some may try to get rid of the habit of coffee drinking by considering it as a guilty pleasure. But now scientists have proven that regular drinking of coffee has reduce the prone to cancers in the mouth, guts, esophagus, lungs and even the cardiovascular diseases.
Coffee contains more than 1000 of chemical compounds that are specific for various characteristics like bitter taste, brown color, aroma and etc.
The most abandon phenolic compound in coffee is Chlorogenic acid (CGA), an antioxidant agent. CGA are made by the esterification of trans cinnamic acids with hydroxyl groups of quinic acid. This CGA covers about 12% of the dry weight of green unroasted coffee beans. CGA is responsible for the Millard browning of the coffee seeds and the bitter taste. The main compounds that give the characteristic bitter taste is lactones and melanoids. These levels can be vary from the Species variation.
There are numerous healthy duties of Coffee. Drinking coffee induces the cells to double the uptake of sugar. This ability will keep the ones live from getting low sugar. Roasted coffee beans have high level of lipophilic antioxidant activities. CGA is the main component responsible for that activity. It is also act as a neuro protector specially in the brain.
Caffeine another ingredient which enhance the memory and also speed the information processing. It is said that large amount of caffeine will alter the signaling and functioning of hormones and neurotransmitters. There are some side effects including Insomnia, stomach irritation, nervousness, headache, anxiety and chest pain. However the caffeine level can be reduced by roasting the coffee seeds for long time and reducing the use of fine coffee powder. Structure 2- Caffeine
As the positives coffee also has negatives like carcinogenic nature. It is caused by the chemicals like 4-methylimidazole and acrylamide in coffee. They include in very small amounts but the considerable usage of coffee enhances the risk to cancers.
Nowadays, the vast majority of people consume caffeinated beverages daily. Believe it or not, but by drinking a regular cup of coffee, tea, or a can of Coke, people are taking one of the most widespread in the world drugs. Levinthal (2014) notes that although caffeine is one of the psychoactive drugs, “among the range of psychoactive stimulants existing, caffeine is considerably weaker than most, and research suggests that caffeine consumption is relatively benign” (p. 276). Therefore, there is no need to overreact and stop drinking a morning coffee. However, it is a good reason to delve deeper into the issue and find out about some necessary precautions. This paper aims at studying caffeine, its modern forms, and its effects by analyzing a personal experience connected with the consumption of this “light” drug.
Main body
To begin with, it is impossible to deny that most people consume some amount of caffeine one way or another. For instance, it can be a coffee or tea in the morning, a piece of chocolate in a tea break, some Coke for lunch, and so on. Since everybody has an utterly different body and everybody’s inner systems work diversely, the quantity of caffeine needed in each case and, consequently, its influence varies considerably. Researchers note that “the metabolism, clearance, and pharmacokinetics of caffeine is affected by many factors such as age, sex and hormones, liver disease, obesity, smoking, and diet” (Nehlig, 2018, p. 388). One more significant factor is claimed to be the interaction of caffeine with various medicines. Some people may experience strong effects of caffeinated products while others will feel no difference between their state before and after consumption. Considering all this, it is possible to note that in every particular situation with different people, consumption, resulted in addiction, side effects, and so on will be drastically contrasting.
One more essential factor to consider is the tolerance towards behavioral, physical, and psychological effects of caffeine that is claimed to occur throughout consumption. According to Levinthal (2014), although caffeine tolerance is hard to evaluate, scientists claim that tolerance effects start to appear for utterly low dosages, such as equal one or two cups of coffee. It is possible to note that, in the case of tolerance, the situation is somewhat similar to the consumption in general. In other words, for every particular person, the tolerance and the moment in that it occurs will vary remarkably. The same situation can be observed in terms of differences in response to caffeine intake among people with various habitual consumption. Researchers note that “low, moderate, and high consumers show similar absolute and relative improvements in exercise performance” (Gonçalves et al., 2017, p. 217). It proves that caffeine intake does not influence physical performance to a great extent. The main point here is that it does not make it worse, and no negative consequences are discovered. Conversely, the consumption results in some minor improvements without dependence on the habitual intake.
Although tolerance towards caffeine consumption is not a considerable problem, there is one more essential point – withdrawal. It is one of the primary reasons why caffeine is considered to be a drug. In this case, withdrawal includes such symptoms as drowsiness, headache, irritability, impaired concentration, muscle aches, and so on. However, the situation with psychological symptoms of withdrawal is not so clear. It is complicated to indicate correctly whether people tend to take one more cup of caffeinated beverages because they crave to drink it or in order to avoid withdrawal symptoms (Levinthal, 2014). Although caffeine does not impact people in the way other drugs do, it still has some similar adverse effects on people’s bodies and health. Therefore, it is better to treat caffeinated products with cautiousness and not overuse them.
As for behavioral and psychological effects, there were not many studies conducted on this issue. However, researchers note that some characteristics, such as reaction time, are not affected by caffeine consumption while there is an effect on behaviors, including focusing attention (Spiller, 2019). Therefore, it is possible to note that caffeine is not as damaging to people’s health as other psychoactive drugs, although it is considered to be one of them. Since only a significant dosage can cause a remarkable effect on a person, it cannot be a reason for anxiety. Nevertheless, it does not mean that it is reasonable to drink enormous amounts of caffeinated drinks. Conversely, it is strongly advised not to overuse caffeine, but just as any other food or drink.
Talking about my personal experience connected with caffeinated beverages, the first thing I remember is family gatherings where half of the people were firmly against coffee and another half-drunk it without any hindsight. As a child, I thought that coffee is something alien, a strange substance from the adults’ world. Although, for some reason, I felt that it is prohibited for children, and I used to consider it incorrect when my coevals drunk it or told me about it. Later on, when I was in secondary school, I developed a habit of drinking Coke, although I cannot say that it had any particular effect on me.
However, from time to time, I used to share some overnight stays with my best friend, and we regularly drunk large quantities of Coke and stayed up all night long. I do not remember promptly, but it is possible to note that Coke, or, precisely speaking, caffeine, influenced us that way. In addition, it was around the same age when I tried coffee and formed my first opinion on that beverage – it was not for me at all. Only later, when I was around 15, I found out that coffee with various syrups is a tasty thing. It is important to note that during this time, I realized that neither coffee nor other caffeinated beverages have almost no effect on me. In other words, I did not feel any boost of energy or uplifting mood as a result of consuming caffeine. Therefore, I did not have to reduce or change the amount of it in my diet. I can also claim that I did not experience any effects of tolerance towards caffeine since there was no considerable change in my state due to the consumption.
Nowadays, I can note that I consume caffeinated products approximately on an average level without eating or drinking them too much or not enough. In other words, I drink a cup of tea in the morning, from time to time, a Coke for lunch, and I do not eat much chocolate and sugar. In addition, I do not experience any problems connected with everyday routine activities, and I do not have any medical prescriptions. Therefore, I can claim that I neither need to cut down on such products nor to stop consuming any of them.
Conclusion
To sum everything mentioned above up, it seems significant to emphasize that caffeine, although considered to be a drug, is utterly unlikely to cause any adverse harm, such as severe intoxication or harmful side effects. Nevertheless, researchers agree that uncontrolled and irresponsible consumption of caffeine can result in some remarkable behavioral problems, such as difficulty sleeping, alertness, anxiety, and so on (Wikoff et al., 2017). It is also possible to experience weakness in some cases after the main effect of caffeine is over. However, these cases are related mostly to large dosages, not usual morning coffees. Caffeine has many positive effects on people’s health, such as a reduction in exhaustion and boredom, boosts of energy, and so on. Nevertheless, regrettably, the tolerance towards caffeine consumption occurs and expresses some withdrawal symptoms. Therefore, it is also important to note that people should be careful with caffeine and try not to overuse it.
Last but not least, nowadays, caffeinated products have become widespread among young people. It may be a reason for concerns since the bodyweight of young adults is less than the weight of a grown person. The most common health problems in these cases are claimed to be insomnia, anxiety, and nervousness. Further research on the issue is to be conducted, and some regulations are to be enacted. It is also essential to research and discuss the issue among scientific, medical, and governmental departments.
References
Gonçalves, L. D. S., Painelli, V. D. S., Yamaguchi, G., Oliveira, L. F. D., Saunders, B., da Silva, R. P., & Gualano, B. (2017). Dispelling the myth that habitual caffeine consumption influences the performance response to acute caffeine supplementation. Journal of Applied Physiology, 123(1), 213-220.
Levinthal, C. F. (2014). Drugs, behavior, and modern society. Bergen, NJ: Pearson.
Nehlig, A. (2018). Interindividual differences in caffeine metabolism and factors driving caffeine consumption. Pharmacological Reviews, 70(2), 384-411.
Spiller, G. A. (2019). Caffeine. n.p.: CRC Press.
Wikoff, D., Welsh, B. T., Henderson, R., Brorby, G. P., Britt, J., Myers, E., & Tenenbein, M. (2017). Systematic review of the potential adverse effects of caffeine consumption in healthy adults, pregnant women, adolescents, and children. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 109, 585-648.
This paper has certain strengths, which make it more fulfilling and entertaining. The most fascinating was reading about the different cultural traditions of drinking coffee and seeing examples of coffee rituals in other regions. The thesis seems a little unclear because, on the one hand, I understand the point that coffee culture varies significantly depending on the place. On the other hand, personal preferences are not fully understood and leave the question open without providing any concrete statement. The evidence is presented in each paragraph, portraying the specifics of European culture. Additionally, there are many comparisons with the American way of consuming coffee, all of which refer to the thesis statement that coffee culture differs in each region of the world. The third was the most specific and supported paragraph about the specifics of the European country’s culture and habits regarding coffee. However, the second paragraph could use more historical background on people’s attitudes towards the beverages back then, although the information about the creation of the espresso machine was fascinating.
I believe their hierarchical strategy is used since the paper provides information not specified in the logical order but more by the level of importance. The essay could be improved by adding more facts about the modern coffee culture in Europe. In the contemporary fast pace of life, it seems hard to always calmly enjoy coffee with a paper and not take a cup out to a walk. Nevertheless, I have never thought before about drinking coffee habits in other countries, and this paper gave me different perceptions of it. I will use it to revise my writing since I believe many judgments might be based on stereotypes.
Coffee and Health
The obvious strengths of the paper are the decent number of scientific facts regarding coffee, which highlight both positive and negative aspects of the beverage depending on the amount and frequency of consumption. The thesis statement is also clearly presented at the end of the introductory paragraph. The main point is that coffee cannot be healthy and good for the organism, but the right consumption can be beneficial (Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine Is Too Much, 2018). Each paragraph contains evidence about the role of coffee in people’s life, its effect on their well-being, and the amount of caffeine contained in one portion. Each supports the paragraph’s main idea by following the theme and providing relevant information. The second paragraph seemed the most detailed and clear to me due to the medical facts about coffee and its effect on the human body.
Moreover, I could not find any paragraph that would need some improvement because each one of them, in my opinion, was informative and well-structured. Overall, the essay could be improved by adding more casual language to diverse the different medical facts presented in the paper. This essay used a logical strategy, which allowed the information to flow through the text smoothly and was easy to read and understand. I have learned a lot about coffee in this essay, although I knew some facts before. Still, the most intriguing for me was to read about caffeine tolerance and addiction, which was not very obvious to me before. I think I can use this knowledge in my paper on stereotypes of different coffee drinkers since it can explain some habits connected with this beverage.
The paper chosen for the analysis is called Prenatal Caffeine Exposure Impairs Pregnancy in Rats. The authors of the research delve into the investigation of the human reproductive disorders. The given issue is one of the major concerns of the modern science as it poses a threat to the further evolution of society and result in the appearance of numerous demographical problems.
Moreover, the changes in the reproductive system might promote the development of various problems related to the state of posterity. The authors tend to evaluate the effects of caffeine on implantation sites, numbers of live births, weight, crown-rump length and abnormality (Maryam et al., 2016). To support their research with the credible information, researchers conduct the experimental study using rats as the main probationers. Furthermore, they try to create the environment that would support the development of various disorders to admit the changes in the state of rats and their posterity.
Besides, the authors suggest the hypothesis which states that the excessive usage of substances containing caffeine might result in the appearance of significant changes in rats organisms (Maryam et al., 2016). These changes could trigger the process of the development of various complications and promote the deterioration of the health of posterity.
The authors of the study state that the biological effects of caffeine on the central nervous system still provide a set of questions. For this reason, Maryam et al. (2016) suppose that the increased usage of caffeine during the last few weeks of pregnancy could impact the level of estrogen and have the pernicious effect on the state of a fetus. In this regard, the investigators tend to prove the idea that the usage of coffee, tea, chocolate and some medicines could be dangerous for the reproductive system of a living being and deteriorate the state of a fetus.
To prove the hypothesis, the authors conduct the experimental study that delves into the investigation of the major concerns of the issue. There are 40 female albino rats divided into two control groups. They are created to guarantee the credibility of the experiment and monitor the changes of the state of probationers. All rodents received caffeine on days 1-5 of pregnancy (Maryam et al., 2016). The first group was euthanized on day 7 to discover the number of implantation sites and other problematic aspects. The second group was investigated to monitor the state of their posterity and possible complications. The obtained data was analyzed by various independent tests to guarantee the detailed analysis of the case and create the basis for the further discussion.
The results of the study provided by the authors show that the number of implantation sites between two experimental groups differs significantly (Maryam et al., 2016). The number of live birth births between the 2nd and control group was also statistically significant. The given results were obtained in the course of the precise investigation and monitoring of the state of rats belonging to both groups. Moreover, the credibility of the data is evidenced by the character of the experimental study and attempts to exclude various external factors from the experiment. In this regard, the authors underline the great importance of the results as they could be used to support their hypothesis and introduce discussions related to the impact caffeine has on the state of a living being and its reproductive system. Moreover, the results include the authors’ observations noted during the experiment.
The study also provides the discussion related to the questions. Maryam et al. (2016) admit that the administration of caffeine causes a significant decrease in implantation sites and the number of live birth. It follows from this assumption that caffeine could cause the anti-fertility effect and deteriorate the state of a person. Especially dangerous the substance becomes for pregnant individuals as the study proves the negative impact on the condition of a fetus. However, it is rather difficult to prove this statement as the usage of rats in the study could not guarantee the same reactions among human beings. The data shows that the caffeine consumption could decrease the birth weight, but the difference between two experimental groups is not statistically significant. Moreover, the problem is that the impact on human fetus may be severe. These facts condition the necessity of the further investigation of the question.
In conclusion, it is possible to state that the article is quite comprehensive, and the authors were able to prove their hypothesis regarding harmful effects of caffeine on pregnancy in rats. The findings are fascinating because this is an area that is relatively unexplored, and the results are statistically significant. It may be reasonable to increase the sample size, and other aspects of birth also should be measured in future studies. The authors suggest that injections of caffeine to pregnant rats result in the decrease of implantation sites and live birth. It is not reasonable to exclude caffeine from the diet of pregnant individuals yet based on available data, and this subject matter needs to be researched.
Moreover, it would be appropriate to get a better understanding of what dosage is safe, and would not lead to complications. Also, it is entirely possible that the authors could have overlooked several crucial factors that could have affected the results, and they should have paid more attention towards the elimination of bias. It is quite recent, and it would be reasonable to review other articles on this subject matter to identify particular patterns and similarities between the arguments. Overall, the experiment supports the idea that caffeine has numerous harmful effects, and it may be especially dangerous during the pregnancy. Therefore, it would be reasonable to reduce the intake of the stimulant to avoid risks and complications.